


Where Wolf

by meyari



Category: Smallville
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-06
Updated: 2010-01-06
Packaged: 2017-10-05 21:41:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/46311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meyari/pseuds/meyari
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There are rumors of a great black wolf haunting Smallville.  Kyla goes hunting for it.  Lex is concerned.  Clark just wishes he wasn't quite as weird an alien as he is, at least until a white wolf shows up to teach him a few things.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was very much inspired by _tobiwolf's_ Puppyville 'verse wherein Clark turns into a cocker spaniel. So much love for the Puppy 'verse! XD Clark doesn't turn into a cocker spaniel in this one because as always I take things in my own, strange, directions.

Clark hid in the entrance to the cave he'd found. He watched as the hunters followed his tracks down to the river. They weren't going to find him. Even if they did find him he knew that they couldn't hurt him. The area was blessedly, or maybe unfortunately, free of meteor rock. He could always count on the meteor rock to shock him back into his real shape. It hurt but it was really effective. Until he figured out how to control this ability the meteor rock was his best way of getting back to normal. Of course he couldn't go back to normal until he got home. There was no way he was going to run naked through Smallville, even at super speed. The thought made him want to whimper and hide a hole for the rest of his life.

"Damn, it went into the water," Van McNulty said as he studied the edge of the stream. "Didn't come straight back out either."

"We have to tromp through the water?" Jonas, the second hunter asked. He whined like it was going to kill him to get his feet wet.

"Yes, so quit your bitching," McNulty growled. "A little water isn't going to hurt you."

They headed downstream, scanning for where Clark had gotten out. Given that he'd laid down a couple mile long trail at super speed he knew that they weren't going to be back for a bit. Hopefully he'd be able to sneak away to safety before they came back, though he didn't know how a four-and-a-half foot tall at the shoulder black wolf could sneak. He was still figuring out walking on four legs. It didn't work at all like crawling. Most of the time he just blundered through the fields and brush while hoping for the best.

Clark waited until the hunters had gone beyond human hearing range before standing up. He carefully stuck his muzzle (and wasn't that a hard thought to deal with?) out of the cave far enough that he could see around him. Nothing to the right. Nothing in the direction the hunters had gone. Nothing but a pretty white wolf with highly amused golden eyes to his left. Clark started to leave the cave and then yipped and stumbled backwards to land on his rump. The white wolf laughed at him.

He didn't know what else to call it. Her jaw dropped open and her ears went floppy while her sides shook and her tail wagged. It didn't sound like a laugh but it sure looked like one. He cocked his head at her, whining very quietly. She stopped laughing and stood up. She was small compared to him, though a little larger than a real wolf would be. He could tell just from her scent that she wasn't a real wolf. She smelled of humans, of cars, of roast beef and pepper on rye bread. He wondered what he smelled like to her. She huffed gently, sniffing the air, and then turned away. She moved towards the cornfield, looking back at him.

She cocked her head very much like a human saying 'wanna come along?'

Clark blinked at her, fidgeting his paws in the dirt. The hunters were still out there.

She made a little whining noise that was a lot like a mother wolf comforting her pup. It was oddly calming. Clark really didn't want to think about that at that moment. The thought that his real mother might have whined at him that way would make him freak out completely.

He looked back at the direction the hunters had gone. His tail automatically tucked between his legs.

She trotted back over and reared up on her hind legs to bat at his nose with one paw. He sneezed and she wolf-laughed again. This time when she trotted into the rows of corn he followed her. He kind of thought that bat was 'quit being so dramatic and come on.' Or maybe 'quit taking yourself so seriously.' Or maybe it was 'have a little fun, silly.' Either way he followed her, trying to copy her graceful movements through the corn. He did a really bad job of it, stumbling and rustling the corn stalks around him.

She looked back at him, wincing at how clumsy he was. She gave him a look that had surprised comprehension in it halfway through the field. He blinked as she came back and showed him very slowly and carefully how to walk more quietly. He cocked his head and copied the way she put her feet down, almost bouncing and yipping excitedly at her when he realized that it was a lot quieter than his awkward stumbling. She slowed down until he got the hang of it and then sped back up.

It was kind of fun. Clark never would have thought of running around as a wolf as fun but she made it better. She led him through the fields, through a broken fence and then along a riverbank to a parked car hidden by a large shrub. She shook herself hard and then cocked her head at him.

He looked back, unsure what she wanted. He yipped as her body rippled and changed. She transformed her from a white wolf to a beautiful young woman with absolutely no clothing on.

"Okay, your turn," she said, grinning at him. "I'm really curious who you are."

Clark whined and flopped to the ground, covering his eyes with his paws.

"You're _really_ new at this," she said, petting his ears. "Haven't figured out how to change back yet, have you?"

Clark sighed sadly, keeping his eyes shut while leaning into her hand. She laughed quietly. It was a very reassuring sound. She patted his head and then got up, going to her car. Clark peeked and shut his eyes again. He wasn't going to watch her put on her clothes. Nope. Not going to. Wouldn't be right.

He peeked in spite of his intentions, shivering a little that he was being that bold. If he'd been in his human shape he'd have been beet red. He didn't think he knew any girls that wore red lace bras and undies, not that he'd checked before. He relaxed once she had her shirt and jeans on. He came over to watch her lace up her boots. She smiled at him, patting his head.

"Come on," she said, opening the back door of her car. "Jump in. I'm Kyla. I can at least drive you home. The hunters are a little thick right now. It's not safe to go cross-country."

He hesitated, not sure that he wanted her to know where he was from. He thought that he could trust her. His gut said that he could trust her. But then he was really bad at figuring out whom to trust. She changed like he did so he probably could trust her. He knew nothing about her other than she changed like he did so he wasn't sure. She cocked her head at him, frowning.

"You do have a home, don't you?" Kyla asked gently. Concern was all but radiating from her face and in her scent.

Clark nodded, looking back towards the hunters. She nodded, putting her hands on either side of his face. He shivered at her touch, staring into her eyes.

"It's okay," Kyla said. "You're not going to get me in trouble. If you're worried about leading the hunters to your home we can go to mine. I promise you'll be safe there."

Clark considered it and then nodded. She stood aside and he clambered into the back of her car. It was a little uncomfortable given how big he was but not too bad. Kyla shut the door and then got in to drive. Clark tried not to peek out too much, not wanting anyone to see him in the back seat of her car but as they got farther away from Smallville he worried less. They ended up outside of Granville at a housing development that looked older.

"This is it," Kyla said, pulling into one house's garage. "Hopefully Grandfather will be home. I'm sure I don't have any clothes that would fit you when you manage to change back. You're huge."

He wolf-laughed at that, nodding agreement. She grinned, petting his ears. The garage was small and full of Indian artifacts in boxes and bins. Kyla led the way from the garage to the kitchen, which was full of really good smells that Clark would have loved to check out, on into the living room where an older man sat, grading text papers. Clark hesitated by the door to the kitchen, nervous about meeting the man and getting mud all over his floor.

"Grandfather," Kyla said, going over to hug him, "I have someone for you to meet. I don't recognize him so I was hoping you did. This is the black wolf who's been in the news lately. This is my grandfather, Joseph Willowbrook."

"Hmm, pleased to meet you," Joseph said gravely. He nodded politely to Clark who nodded back. "Don't worry about the rug, son. Kyla tracks dirt in all the time."

"Grandfather," Kyla said, blushing.

Clark laughed, coming over to sniff him. He'd never met anyone who was this accepting before, other than his parents. Joseph held out a hand, letting Clark sniff it. He smelled of ham sandwiches with mustard and mayo, along with Kyla's wolf form, plus ink and paper, lots of ink and paper. Clark head-butted his hand for some petting, getting a laugh from both of them as Joseph started scratching his ears.

"He's very new at this," Kyla said. She settled cross-legged into one of the armchairs across from the couch. "I don't think he knows how to change back."

Clark nodded his head yes. He had no clue. It happened when it happened and then he was left trying to figure out how to make it un-happen without subjecting himself to meteor rock.

"Interesting," Joseph said, continuing to play with Clark's ears. Clark put his head in Joseph's lap to give him better access. "I'm sure some food and a chance to relax would help. Kyla learned how to change at will when she was quite young. Between the two of us I'm pretty sure we can have you back to normal quickly."

They fed him some leftover roast and then sat together with him in the living room with the blinds drawn. Kyla petted his back while Joseph talked in a low, confident voice, instructing Clark to pay attention to his body. Clark did as Joseph directed, focusing on his forepaws and the toes there. At Joseph's direction he shut his eyes and imagined them shifting from paws into hands, then his forelegs into arms. Clark whined, feeling something strange shivering through him.

"That's it," Kyla said. Her voice was low and soothing but there was a hint of excitement too.

As Joseph kept talking the strange feeling rippled through Clark and suddenly his toes did change to fingers. He could literally feel the way his bones shifted and moved; the way the fur receded to be replaced by skin. He gasped once his face shifted back to normal.

"There you go, son," Joseph said, catching Clark along with Kyla. "Not so hard now is it?"

"Says you," Clark whispered, panting at the way he felt. The wolf was still in him, trying to get out as his emotions surged.

"Focus on this body," Kyla advised. "Breathe deeply and pay attention to your human skin. Ignore the hearing, the scents. Focus on your human lips, your human mouth. Flex your fingers and pay attention to your thumbs. Thumbs are human. It'll help you focus and stay this way."

Clark did as she told him, taking shuddering breaths until the rippling feeling subsided. The thumb thing was really useful, grounding him better than anything else. Joseph patted Clark's shoulder once he relaxed, going and getting him some sweats to wear. Kyla watched him dress, amusement in her eyes as if she knew that he'd watched her dress.

"So what's your name, son?" Joseph asked once Clark was dressed and sitting on the couch like a normal visitor.

"Um, Clark Kent, sir," Clark said. "Thank you so much for your help. This has been driving me nuts ever since it hit a few months ago."

"No problem," Joseph said. He frowned at Clark. "You were adopted, I assume?"

"Yeah," Clark said, nodding. "My parents are really great. I kind of panicked when I changed this time and ran out into the woods."

"You might be half blood," Joseph commented as he studied Clark's face. "I don't think that you're one of our people. You don't smell enough like us. I suppose my nephew could have sired a child out of wedlock though."

Clark hesitated, suddenly realizing that maybe Kyla wasn't a werewolf because of the meteor shower. He stared at them both, his mouth open. He never would have imagined a group of people with the same sort of ability. That thought shocked him enough that it took a second for him to get that Joseph thought he was a relative of some sort.

"Oh no," Clark said, waving his hands at them. "I don't think that I'm, I mean I know I'm not, it's more complicated than that. Um, it's, well—"

"Calm down or you'll tear up my sweats, Clark," Joseph laughed. "It's okay. Take your time and explain what you can without getting upset. Or strip down and try and explain until you change again. Just don't tear up my sweats. They're my favorites."

He winked at Clark, looking more amused than upset. Clark nodded and worked his thumbs while taking deep breaths. It worked to drive the panic away, which made the shivery feeling subside too. Joseph and Kyla waited patiently, giving Clark all the time he needed.

"Sorry," Clark said. "It's kind of a long story and I'm really not supposed to talk about it. This… isn't something that you got from the meteor shower?" He looked at Kyla.

"No," Kyla said, smiling at Clark. "We're all able to do it, some of us more than others."

"I can only do it at night around the full moon," Joseph said, nodding agreement. "There's something about the full moon's light for me. Kyla's mother spent more time as a wolf than as a woman. Our whole tribe is skinwalkers. We're careful about it of course. No one wants to get shot."

"Wow," Clark breathed.

He stared at them both in awe, which made Kyla laugh. He spent several hours asking them questions and telling them bits of his life, the bits that wouldn't tell them that he was an alien from another world. He kind of thought that they might know he was really different from his scent. If their senses were anything like his, and they seemed to be, they'd be able to smell that he wasn't human. Neither of them said anything about it though so he wasn't sure. It wasn't until after dark that Clark realized he should have called his parents ages ago. They had to be worried sick about him given the way he'd bolted from the farm.

"I should get home," Clark said, standing up. "I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to stay this long."

"Don't worry about it, Clark," Joseph reassured him. "Feel free to come visit whenever you want to. Kyla can drive you home, right?"

"Sure," Kyla agreed. "I'd be glad to. I'd like to meet your parents. They seem to be doing a good job raising you and that's not easy for normal people."

"No kidding," Clark sighed.

Kyla followed his directions, taking him home. She was very calm, which made sense given how emotionally dependant the changing was. She looked over at him as they crossed back into Smallville town limits.

"So do you have someone special, Clark?" Kyla asked.

"Um, sort of," Clark said, sighing. "I can't tell Lana anything but I guess we're kind of together. Sort of. Maybe. It depends on how you look at it."

"Her?" Kyla asked, surprised. "I thought I smelled a man's scent on you."

Clark spluttered as his cheeks went flaming red. Kyla laughed. She reached over to pat his thigh, the simple touch setting his body on fire in ways that he wasn't prepared for. He didn't think he felt that way about her but her touch set off all sorts of responses. She pulled her hand back immediately, appearing to sense that it was too much for him right now.

"That's Lex," Clark admitted. "He's my best friend."

She threw a questioning sideways glance at him that made Clark groan. Talking to someone with enhanced senses was a lot harder than he'd expected. He shrugged, gesturing with his thumbs that it was another thing that he had a hard time talking about without changing. She grinned, pulling into the farm's lane. Mom appeared on the porch as he got out of the car.

"Clark!" Mom cried, hurrying over to him. "Oh sweetie, we've been so worried about you."

"Sorry Mom," Clark apologized. He let her hug him and then turned to Kyla. "Um, Mom, this is Kyla Willowbrook. She found me and helped me out. She and her grandfather know that I change. They helped me change back. Oh! Let me change clothes and you can take your grandfather's sweats back Kyla."

"It's okay," Kyla laughed. "I can come back for them if you want to talk to your parents privately."

"It's all right," Mom said. She was smiling in that determinedly curious way that Clark knew meant she wanted to hear everything that had happened sooner rather than later. "Do please come in unless you don't have to hurry home. I'd like to hear what happened and get to know you better."

"She saved me from the hunters," Clark explained. "I rode in the back of her car to her grandfather's place and then we talked. Well, we talked once I changed back."

"He's not very good at coherent explanations, is he?" Kyla laughed.

"No, not really," Mom laughed too.

It seemed to break the ice. Kyla came inside, talking to Mom and Dad while Clark went upstairs to change. Clark wasn't sure what he was going to tell Mom and Dad. He didn't feel like he had the right to tell them about Kyla and Joseph's powers. By the time he'd gotten back downstairs with Joseph's folded sweats it was a moot point.

"So you change into a wolf too?" Dad asked as Clark came into the living room.

"My whole family does," Kyla said, smiling at Clark and taking the sweats he silently offered to her. "That's how I was able to help him out. I don't want to be pushy but Clark really does need more training and practice at changing. It's completely controllable, once you learn your triggers."

"Well, we certainly don't want Clark getting into trouble because of his ability," Mom said with a look at Dad.

"Agreed," Dad said. "Why don't you come over tomorrow or the next day? The farm has a lot of room and we don't allow hunting here. It should be safe for the two of you."

"That works," Kyla said, smiling at them before looking at the clock. "It's awfully late and I do have class tomorrow. Clark, I'll stop by after school tomorrow."

She stood and bid them goodnight. She smelled like she wanted to hug him goodbye but she didn't. All she did was pat his arm, setting off another wave of arousal from nowhere. Clark went out on the porch and waved goodbye.

It was strange to have other people who knew about his abilities, or rather this particular ability. It was even stranger to have them share the ability with him. It made him feel much less alone. Clark smiled and headed back inside. He had a lot to tell his parents now that they knew about Kyla's tribe. He didn't think he'd tell them about the arousal thing. He had no idea how she felt about him.

+++++

"I fail to comprehend how you could lose a four-and-a-half foot tall black wolf," Lex said in his most scathing tones to the hunters he'd hired. "This is Kansas, not the Rocky Mountains. There aren't that many places for the creature to hide."

"We're sorry, Mr. Luthor," McNulty said with not the slightest bit of regret in his voice. He looked quite furious. "The damned thing led us on a snipe hunt. I'd swear that it was intelligent. It did things that I've _never_ seen an animal do before."

"Spare me your delusions," Lex snarled. "You're dismissed. If you can't do the job then I'll find someone else who can."

The hunters glared at him as if they wanted to protest. They left once Darius and another security guard appeared to escort them from the mansion. Lex waited until his office door shut all the way before cursing under his breath. Clark was not making this easy. He had a great deal of pressure on him to find the 'killer wolf', even though not one animal had been hurt. He knew that it was Clark. Who else could it be?

_An arm shifting and changing, the hand going from fingers-and palm to black-furred paw. The startled green eyes were set first in a boy's face and then moments later a wolf stared back at Lex before fading back to a boy._

Lex shuddered and shook off the flash of memory from the accident on the bridge. It had only lasted a moment, just barely long enough for Lex to see it before they were flying off of the bridge. Lex's head had impacted the dash. It could have been a figment of his battered brain. Almost anyone would have thought that it was. Lex knew it wasn't. He had no doubts anymore.

Clark had been odd since Lex met him but it wasn't until shortly after Clark's brief foray into probable drug use several months ago (and the money-greedy, paranoid behavior it had caused), Lex had glimpsed Clark transforming from a man into a wolf after they'd had a particularly emotional argument. Lex had allowed his anger at his father's meddling to influence how he'd interacted with Clark. Once Clark had stormed out Lex had regretted his harsh words and the panic-stricken expression they'd caused on Clark's face. Lex followed him, witnessing Clark's transformation and then rapid run out into the garden.

He'd yet to say anything to Clark about it. He'd personally gathered up Clark's shredded clothing and burned it. He'd ensured that no one else had seen Clark's shocking transformation. He still hoped that Clark would trust him with the secret eventually. Lex was fairly certain that his ability was how he'd managed to survive being hit by Lex's car. A werewolf would be very durable and regenerate almost instantly, as well as having the strength to tear the roof of his car open. So many of the strange incidents that Clark wouldn't, or couldn't, explain were neatly covered by realizing that Clark simply wasn't a human.

Lycanthrope. Werewolf. Skinwalker. Loup-Garou. Lex had found dozens of legends describing men and women who were able to change from men into wolves. After everything that he'd seen in Smallville it was an easy concept to accept. Lex assumed that it had something to do with the meteor shower, though they were was no way to be certain. If only Clark were better at hiding the ability. Lex was having a hard time keeping the sheriff and mayor from organizing a countywide hunt to bring in the black wolf.

"Lex!" Clark called, banging through the study doors.

Lex managed to control his start so that it was nothing more than a faint shiver. He smiled at Clark, gesturing for him to come in.

"You're a little early today, Clark," Lex said. "I didn't expect your delivery for at least a half an hour."

"Yeah, sorry about that," Clark said. He smiled brightly as if he'd gotten wonderful news and couldn't resist sharing it. "I've got a friend coming over to the farm so I don't have much time today. I brought over the shipment for this week."

"A friend?" Lex asked, his mood picking up because of Clark's good mood. "Lana?"

"No, her name is Kyla Willowbrook," Clark said, smiling even more brightly. "I think you'd like her. She's really smart and very nice."

"Really," Lex said, his heart sinking. Lovely. There was yet another beautiful girl trying to win his farm boy's heart. "Well, I won't keep you then. I'd hate to think that you'd be late to your date."

He expected Clark to protest that it wasn't really a date. That was his normal response to Lex's light teasing about Lana. Clark just nodded happily, waiting as Lex wrote out a check for the product Clark had delivered. Lex did his best not to let his stomach's churning show. Clark frowned as he took the check from Lex.

"Are you all right, Lex?" Clark asked. He reached out a hand and cupped Lex's cheek, running his thumb over Lex's cheekbone. "You look kind of pale."

"It's nothing, Clark," Lex said, doing his best to smile at his friend. "Just worried about the whole wolf issue. The mayor and sheriff keep pestering me about tracking it down and killing it. They were talking about organizing a countywide hunt for it. I'm doing what I can to keep the situation under control but its not easy with the attitudes farmers in the area have about wolves."

"Wow," Clark breathed as his eyes went wide. He pulled his hand back. The smile disappeared at Lex's warning. "I had no idea. Um, I better get going. Thanks for the check. I'll talk to you later, all right?"

"Of course," Lex said, smiling a little more honestly. "Any time Clark. You know that I'll help you any way I can."

Clark nodded, smiling shyly before departing with a bounce in his step that Lex hadn't seen for a while. Lex sighed and sat behind his desk once Clark was gone. He thought about the joy in Clark's eyes for a long while. He should be happy that Clark had found someone that made him feel that way. He should support Clark. He should leave them be and act like the friend he was supposed to be. Eventually he called in his secretary.

"Find me every bit of information you can get on Kyla Willowbrook," Lex ordered. "I need it as soon as possible."

"Yes sir."

Lex refused to allow himself to feel guilty. He wasn't doing anything wrong. Clark was his friend. He needed to make sure that Clark wasn't getting himself into trouble with this newest girlfriend. A boy as special as Clark had to be very careful whom he trusted. Lex snorted at himself. Lord knew that Lex wasn't trustworthy. He might not be worthy of Clark's heart but he could at the very least make sure that Clark wasn't going to make a stupid mistake by trusting the wrong person.

"Like me," Lex whispered as he returned to work.

+++++

"Kyla!" Clark called.

He waved to her from the loft and she smiled back at him. She'd been coming over to visit and give him lessons on skinwalking for about a month now. Mom and Dad heartily approved of her, somewhat to Clark's surprise. He'd expected them to be upset about him spending so much time with Kyla and her people. They hadn't been worried at all.

"Hey Clark," Kyla said, trotting up the stairs to the loft. "Heh, I see that you visited your boyfriend today."

"Kyla," Clark squawked as his face went red. "Lex isn't my boyfriend."

"Isn't he?" Kyla asked a little sadly.

She slipped out of her sundress and changed forms. Clark stripped (still blushing brightly about getting naked in front of her) and followed suit. It had gotten much easier with practice. He finally had enough control that he didn't have to wiggle his thumbs all the time to keep from shifting when he was upset. It was nice not to have to worry too much about changing without worry.

They headed out into the fields, checking carefully for rouge hunters before leaving the barn. Ever since Lex's warning Clark had been much more careful about when and where he changed form. He wasn't too worried about getting shot but it would be fatal for Kyla or her family. Clark wouldn't allow them to be endangered if he could help it. They crossed through the pasture behind the barn and headed into the woods at the back of the farm.

Kyla chased his tail and bounced around his feet like a pup, deliberately splashing him with water. He spluttered and splashed her too. They didn't get too muddy, since mud stuck to skin once you changed back but they did get wet. It was a golden afternoon so they trotted over to one of Clark's favorite clearings to sun and dry off for a bit.

Clark lay down and sighed happily. Life was very uncomplicated as a wolf. He could understand why Kyla's mom had spent most of her time this way. No worries about work or bills or relationships, just play and eat and sleep. Kyla sighed and nuzzled Clark's ears, very gently nipping him.

He turned and looked at her blinking in surprise.

She whined and rubbed up against him, her scent full of attraction.

Clark whimpered, fidgeting away from her. He liked her a lot but he didn't think he could do that as a wolf.

She sat and looked at him very seriously, obviously thinking quite hard. After a moment she sighed and settled down next to him, laying her head on his foreleg.

He nuzzled her ears, wondering what was wrong.

She shook her head and closed her eyes.

Clark decided he'd have to ask her what was going on once they were back in their human shapes. Something was obviously bothering her, though he had no idea what it could be. They sunned for a half an hour, Kyla dozing off fairly quickly. Clark stayed awake, listening to the sounds around them. It was easier to listen hard in this form for some reason.

"See? I told you that damned wolf had to be on the Kent farm."

Clark started, jumping to his feet. Kyla woke, reacting to Clark's alarm. He pointed towards the hunters carefully creeping through the woods towards them. They'd left tracks all over the place in the last month, much less today. It would be obvious that they were here. Kyla growled, keeping it so quiet that it was barely audible to Clark, much less the hunters.

Clark looked around, trying to find a safe spot to hide. The hunters were between them and the barn. There was an open pasture they had to cross to get back to safety. There was no way that Kyla could get there without being seen. Kyla looked like she wanted to fight but Clark huffed at her, pointing with his nose to a thicket. It wasn't easy to wriggle into but the plants still had all their leaves so they weren't very visible. Clark deliberately covered Kyla up by draping himself over her. She was white. He was black. He made a great shadow.

"Damn, they've been here recently," McNulty said as he entered the thicket.

"They?" Jonas looked nervous. He should, Clark thought. He was a friend of Dad's and he knew how Dad felt about poaching on his land. "I thought there was only one wolf."

"I've got two sizes of tracks here," McNulty said, kneeling down to check out their tracks. "One is the big male. Second is smaller, probably a female. We found both black fur and white fur on the bush back there. We already know that the big one is solid black so there have to be two of them. Probably his mate. We might have puppies around here somewhere."

Kyla growled again. Clark put his foot on her muzzle to keep her quiet. She squirmed but shut up, letting Clark protect her. Clark's stomach was doing flips as he thought about Kyla as his mate. He'd never really thought of it that way. Well, he had but only in their human shapes. He hadn't thought about… mating… in his wolf shape. He wondered wildly as the hunters crept closer if skinwalkers were born in their human or wolf shapes. How early did a child start changing? If he did have kids someday would they be puppies or babies?

"Hey!"

Dad's voice cut through Clark's rapidly rising freak-out. It startled both of the hunters so bad that they brought their guns up to bear on him until they recognized him. Jonas winced and swore under his breath as Dad stomped over, fury like a thundercloud over him. Jonas started spluttering some sort of explanation. Dad snatched the gun out of his hand and then ripped the other hunter's gun away from him too.

"I've told you before that I won't allow hunting on my property," Dad declared. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"There's a reward for that damn wolf and I'm going to get it," McNulty snarled.

He tried to take his gun back but Dad shoved him back. Jonas said something incoherent about rewards, danger and livestock that both Dad and the hunter ignored. Dad was bristling so badly that he looked twice as tall as normal. McNulty looked just as mad, glaring at his gun in Dad's fist.

"You won't be doing it on my farm," Dad ordered. "Both of you get off of my property or I'm calling the sheriff and having you arrested for trespassing."

"That damned wolf is going to kill your stock!" McNulty shouted as he reached for his gun. Dad didn't let him take it.

"It's been here for months and not _one_ of my animals has been killed," Dad shouted back at him. "I've had less animal kill since that dog showed up. It's protecting my herds and has never harassed any of the animals."

"Dog?" Jonas asked, putting a hand on the hunter's shoulder to try and calm down.

Kyla squirmed a little bit underneath Clark. He let her move forward enough that she could watch the argument. Her tail was wagging ever so slightly as if she was too delighted by Dad's defense to be able to sit still. Clark wanted to wag his tail too but his was big enough that they'd hear him thumping the earth easily.

"I've seen it close up, almost as close as I am to you," Dad said with an annoyed huff. "That's no more a wolf than I am. It may be a really big mastiff-husky cross but not a wolf. I think someone abandoned it and it sort of adopted the farm. It's skittish but gentle as can be."

"You know it's got a mate?" McNulty demanded.

"Of course," Dad snorted. "I have no problem with her. She's a cute little thing and very sweet, lets you pet her any time you want. She's fixed. I checked. There aren't going to be any puppies if that's what your worried about. I don't have any problems with either of them and I don't want anyone hunting on my property so get the hell out of here!"

"My gun?" McNulty demanded.

"I'll turn it over to the sheriff," Dad said. "You can get it back from him. I won't have you sneaking back onto my farm to try and kill those animals. Now march. I'll walk you to your damned car and then you'll get the hell out of here."

They turned and headed back the way they came with Dad right behind them. McNulty complained and argued the whole way. Clark sighed. Now he wasn't sure what they were going to do. Maybe he could go to Granville and run with Kyla's family? McNulty was sure to be back as soon as he thought he could get away with it. Clark hated the thought that he might not be able to change safely. He wasn't sure when this had changed from another intrusive power to a wonderful part of his life but it had.

Kyla squirmed out from under Clark, shaking the dirt and leaves off of her fur. Clark followed suit. They exchanged worried looks and then carefully snuck back to the barn. Once inside they went up to the loft and changed back.

"Damn," Clark sighed once he was back in his other shape. "Maybe I can start visiting you, Kyla. I really didn't think that the hunters would take this so far."

"We'll have to tell Lex," Kyla said, her pants on but only her bra on her torso. "He's the one that put up most of the money for the reward. If we can get him on our side then we'll be safe."

"Um, do you think it'll be okay?" Clark asked nervously. He fidgeted on the couch. "W-won't he, I don't know, turn against us?"

Kyla looked at Clark for a long moment. She had a very serious expression on her face. She set her shirt on the back of the couch and came over to straddle his lap. Clark gasped, his hands fluttering as he tried to find a safe place to touch her. She put her hands on Clark's shoulder and leaned close, breathing in his scent. Clark automatically sniffed her, groaning at the way she made his body react. She sighed, pulling back to study him gravely.

"It's just not going to work," Kyla said sadly.

"What?" Clark asked. His voice broke the word into several syllables, making her grin.

"You're not attracted to me," Kyla explained, her lips twitching.

"If you think that you're not paying attention," Clark protested. She was pressed up against his very hard erection. He didn't see how she could think he wasn't attracted to her.

"No, not completely," Kyla said. She put her pointer finger over his mouth to stop his words. "Yes, you're attracted to this side of me but you're not attracted to my other self. I want someone to love both sides of me. Yes, I want to make love in that form too."

Clark felt like his heart stopped cold. His erection wilted almost instantly. She smiled sadly, her head cocked to the side in a very wolfish gesture. Clark sighed, pulling her close. She hugged him and for the first time her touch didn't set him off. The thought of having sex in his wolf form didn't turn him on. It kind of freaked him out.

"See?" Kyla said. "I do care deeply about you, Clark. You're wonderful, kind, gentle, and incredibly reliable. You're everything that I want to marry someday, except for that one thing. I'd never try and force you to do something you find unpleasant but it's not something that I'm willing to budge on. It's a part of me that I can't give up."

"Sorry," Clark apologized.

"Don't feel bad about it, Clark," Kyla said as she got off of his lap. "It's one of the ways that we know who we're destined for. We're comfortable with and want to be intimate with our mate in both of our forms."

"I don't think I could ever do that," Clark said shuddering.

"You never know," Kyla laughed. "You might change your mind if your mate is into it. If not, then no big deal. You'll both be happy once you find the right person. Now get on your cell phone and get Lex over here. We need to get him on our side and you're much more attracted to him than me. We can all smell it."

Clark nodded as his face went blazingly red. That explained some of the looks he got from the other guys when he and Kyla were together. They knew that he wasn't really attracted to her. Clark didn't bother putting his shirt on before he grabbed his cell phone off of the desk. He was getting more comfortable with his body showing though he didn't think that he'd ever get used to seeing Kyla naked, even now that she'd told him that they wouldn't work out.

"Lex!" Clark said, smiling as Lex picked up immediately.

"What can I do for you, Clark?" Lex asked. He sounded distracted. Clark could hear papers shuffling and his keyboard clicking in the background.

"Um, can you come over right now?" Clark asked. "We have a problem that we need your help with. It's about that wolf that everyone's hunting."

The paper shuffling and clicking instantly stopped. Clark thought Lex might have stopped breathing. Kyla raised an eyebrow at Clark, pausing with her shirt halfway on. Clark held up a hand for her to wait. She nodded and pulled her shirt on.

"I'll be right there," Lex said. "Should I bring anything?"

"Just you," Clark said, his nervousness spiking up another level that Lex would be there soon. "That's pretty much all we need. Oh, you should hurry. Dad caught a couple of hunters on the farm and he's going to be calling the sheriff soon. He took the hunters' guns away from them."

"Fuck!" Lex breathed. It sounded like his hand was over the mouthpiece but Clark heard it easily. A second later Lex's voice was back to normal. "I'll drive my speed then, Clark. See you in a couple of minutes."

"Thanks, Lex," Clark said, nodding to Kyla who beamed. "I really appreciate it."

Lex hung up and Clark collapsed back on the couch. His hands were shaking too hard to close the phone so Kyla took it away and shut it. She wrapped her arms around him, crooning to him until the shaking and shivers of emotional changing subsided. He pulled on his T-shirt and settled in with her to wait for Lex to show up. Hopefully he'd get there before Dad could call the sheriff.

+++++

Lex ran from his office to the garage, shouting at his staff that he'd call them if he needed them. He drove from the mansion to the farm at an insane speed. It was a good thing that he was the richest man around. If he got a ticket he'd need his fortune to pay off the fines given how fast he was going. Lex relaxed a hair once he pulled into the farm. Only the Kent's old truck and Kyla's car were in the lane. Lex parked and got out. Mr. Kent nodded seriously to him and pointed to the barn. Two shotguns stood on the porch next to him. He was on the phone, which made Lex curse under his breath.

"Clark?" Lex called, running up the stairs to the loft two at a time.

"Thanks for coming over, Lex," Clark said.

"We really appreciate it," Kyla said. She was sitting on the couch with her arm around Clark's back.

Lex's stomach lurched at seeing them sitting together so familiarly. It was one thing to know that Clark had finally found a girl who accepted him fully but a very different thing to see it. It hurt in ways that Lex wasn't prepared to admit. Kyla chuckled, poking Clark in the ribs. Her expression was strangely amused and triumphant. Clark blushed and laughed, swaying into her side and then away again.

"I told you that he likes you that way," Kyla said, grinning.

"Excuse me?" Lex asked. His voice came out somewhere between a gasp and an indignant squawk at being so easily seen through.

"We both have something to show you," Clark said, shaking. "I really, really, _really_ hope that it won't ruin our friendship. We need your help desperately."

"Clark, there's nothing that you could do that would ruin our friendship," Lex declared. He wasn't completely sure that that was true but he'd do everything that he could to make sure that it was.

Kyla took a deep breath, watching Lex intently. She nodded after a moment and stood up. She stepped away from the couch and started stripping. Lex stared at her before turning to Clark. Clark's hands were clenched together so tightly that his knuckles were white but he was watching Kyla strip down to her skin without blushing. He also didn't appear to be reacting to her highly attractive body, which Lex noted in the back of his mind with no small amount of triumph.

"I'll start," Kyla said. "Don't worry. I won't hurt you."

"Why would you—?"

Lex gasped and took a step backwards. Kyla's skin rippled, going from tawny to grey as fur sprouted her entire body. She knelt and shifted forms into a white wolf that watched him calmly for a moment. She jumped up on the couch and leaned up against Clark who smiled sadly while petting her ears.

"I thought Clark was the only one," Lex breathed. He collapsed backwards into the chair opposite the couch.

"You knew?" Clark asked, astonished. Kyla laughed, her tail thumping against the couch's cushions. "How long?"

"I… saw you change when I hit you, Clark," Lex admitted reluctantly. "I've been doing my best to protect you ever since though I must say you don't make it very easy."

"Wow," Clark breathed, staring at Lex. Kyla stopped laughing and nudged Clark under his ear with her nose. Clark spluttered and laughed, pushing her away. "Sorry. Kyla's been saying for ages that you knew. I didn't think you did."

Lex blinked at Kyla who shrugged and patted her nose with one paw. He drew a sharp breath, his curiosity engaging with an almost physical snap.

"You retain your senses in your human form?" Lex asked, leaning forward on his knees.

"Pretty much," Clark said, grinning at Lex's sudden interest. Kyla seemed to find it a little intimidating as she eased back. "It's different for everyone but Kyla and I do. Her grandfather is pretty much human. He only changes at the full moon. Everyone has their own particular mix of wolf and human."

"Your whole tribe changes?" Lex breathed, staring at Kyla with awe.

She nodded, giving him a warning look.

"I had no idea," Lex admitted. "I investigated you when you and Clark got together but I got absolutely no data that said that any of you changed."

"You investigated her?" Clark objected, glaring at Lex.

Kyla wolf-laughed and shifted back to her human shape to grin at Lex.

"I told you that he's interested in you!" Kyla laughed. "He was jealous!"

"I was not," Lex protested.

"He was not," Clark said at the same time.

Kyla laughed harder until Clark suddenly looked out at the drive. Kyla growled and shifted form. Clark stripped off his shirt, stuffing it behind a pillow.

"Lex, the sheriff is here," Clark said urgently. "Dad called them. What we're going to do is change shapes and then Dad's going to show us to you and him. I'll be very skittish, like I was abused and abandoned. Kyla will be much more social. If you can withdraw the reward and promise to protect us from anyone trying to hunt us that might stop the hunters from coming back here."

"You have it," Lex instantly promised.

Clark beamed and stood to slip out of his jeans. Lex's heart immediately tried to leap straight out of his chest. Clark was perfect everywhere, absolutely everywhere. He blushed brightly at Lex's stare so Lex snapped his head away only to meet Kyla's laughing eyes where she sat at the top of the stairs. She was wagging her tail so hard at him that it was nearly a blur.

"Here goes," Clark said, recapturing Lex's attention. "Sorry. Hope this doesn't freak you out."

"It won't…" Lex started to say, only to trail off as Clark's body shifted. He didn't change as quickly or smoothly as Kyla did but it was still a very quick process, unlike the first time Lex had watched him change. In less than three seconds Clark was gone and a very large wolf with green eyes stood staring at him. There was a lot of apprehension in those eyes so Lex reached out a hand to Clark, intending to pet him to calm him down.

"Lex!" Jonathan called from the base of the stairs.

"I'm ready," Lex said, pushing aside his wonder and awe at Clark's ability. "I'll stay in the barn with them. You go bring him in."

"The sheriff brought McNulty with him," Jonathan said, glaring out the barn door. "Stay between them."

"Right," Lex said. He stood. "Come on. You wouldn't be up here where you could be trapped. You'd be downstairs."

They ran down the stairs. Kyla stood at the base of the stairs while Clark went and hid under the workbench, his head just barely visible behind the tractor. Lex sat on the bottom steps and Kyla pushed at his hand, encouraging him to pet her. He hesitated and then gave into the urge to caress her fur. Her tail thumped encouragingly. Lex laughed quietly and hugged her. Clark's tail started thumping against the ground.

"I'm telling you that he's harboring dangerous animals," McNulty exclaimed as Jonathan walked into the barn with the sheriff in tow. "That thing is huge and it's responsible for all sorts of animal deaths. How long will it be before it starts attacking people?"

"I'd say never," Lex said, smirking briefly at the way McNulty and the sheriff started. "I had doubts about the claims that the wolf was attacking people. Of course, I had doubts that it was actually a wolf, not that anyone listened to me."

"That's not the wolf," the sheriff said, pointing at Kyla.

"No, this is his mate," Lex said, his heart hurting at the truth in that statement. "He's over there hiding under the workbench. Neither of them are wolves. My father always hated dogs while my mother and I loved them. I know a great deal about dog breeds. This one is probably one-quarter wolf, three quarters Husky. I think that the 'wolf' you're so worried about is a mixture of Husky, Bernese Mountain Dog and maybe some Mastiff, though it's hard to be certain with him hiding that way. I'm fairly certain that if we compared his bite against any of the animal kills that people have put up to the wolf we'd find that they don't match."

Jonathan smiled at Lex. It was enough of a shock to get that positive of an expression out of him that Lex nearly stared at him. Kyla bumped his hand for more petting, keeping his moment of distraction from being noted.

"You're trying to tell me that that monster isn't killing the livestock?" McNulty demanded.

"Yes," Lex said calmly. "Neither of them is."

"I've been feeding them," Jonathan said with a fierce glare at McNulty. "Clark and Martha both dote on them. They're harmless, not animal killers."

"Having seen the animal," Lex said, "I'm withdrawing my portion of the reward. I never felt that killing him was the proper solution to the problem. There may be other animals out there killing the livestock that you're so worried about but this animal isn't the one doing it. I will not support a witch-hunt. Sheriff Miller, you're free to do as you choose but my support for this endeavor is over."

Sheriff Miller sighed, taking off his hat to rub his head. He nodded and put his hat back on before turning to McNulty.

"That's that, son," Miller said. "I'm on Mr. Luthor's side on this one. Until that animal bites someone or is proven to have killed the livestock there's no reason to harm it. The hunt's over. We'll keep working on figuring out what's actually doing the killing but you're going to have to leave those dogs alone."

"Are you nuts?" McNulty demanded. "They're _wolves,_ not dogs! This is insane! Use your eyes. There's no way that those things are anything other than wolves."

"There's never been a wolf that large," Lex said with a snort. "Not since the dire wolves died out during the last ice age. Unless you'd like to claim that he's a dire wolf, there's no way he could be a wolf."

"Leave it be," Miller said, putting his hand on McNulty's shoulder. "Come on. You've got your gun and we're all satisfied that the animals aren't a danger. Let's go."

Sheriff Miller pulled McNulty out of the barn despite his protests and complaints. Lex stayed alert until their cars drove off. He relaxed with a sigh, smiling at Kyla who licked his cheek. Clark squirmed out from under the workbench, bouncing as he trotted over. Jonathan smiled at Clark and then looked at Lex warningly.

"I hope that we can trust you, Lex," Jonathan said.

"I've known about Clark's… difference since the day I met him, Mr. Kent," Lex admitted. "I saw him change when I went off the bridge. And I saw him change a few months ago in our garden. I've been doing my best to protect him. Hopefully now it won't be a problem. We might want to get some pictures of them doing harmless things like playing or being petted for the newspaper but I think that the pressure should be off once everyone knows what happened today."

"Thank goodness," Jonathan said.

"I should get back to the Mansion," Lex said. "I need to pull that reward and get a statement out on why. Feel free to come by later if you want to, Clark, Kyla. You're both welcome."

It hurt to allow Kyla access to the mansion but it was the right thing to do. Kyla was Clark's mate. Lex wasn't. He did feel better that he'd been allowed access to their secret. Hopefully he'd be allowed to learn more about them and their ability. Lex turned to go only to be stopped as Kyla transformed and grabbed his hand. Lex did his best to ignore her nudity. Jonathan coughed and turned away as his face went red.

"There's a meet up this weekend, Lex," Kyla said with a stern look at Clark. "Would you be willing to come to it? I think you've earned the right."

Clark looked up at him hopefully, his tail rising and wagging. Lex smiled, unable to resist those eyes no matter what body they were in. He nodded, gently squeezing Kyla's fingers before releasing them.

"I'd be honored," Lex said. "Let me know when and where and I'll be there."

"Good," Kyla said. "There's a lot that you need to learn about all of us, especially Clark."


	2. Under The Full Moon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clark and Lex get ready for the meet up, only to have events push them in different directions than they expected. The meet up itself turns out rather differently than expected for both of them as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shape changing, cuddling, UST but not much else besides Lionel up to his old tricks.

"So you up to a movie at my place Saturday night, Clark?" Chloe asked hopefully. "I got some good ones in the mail from my cousin Lois last night."

Chloe transferred the last of her books from her bag into her locker before looking up at Clark. She wasn't hitting on him. She was his friend. It was perfectly acceptable for friends to get together for a movie. This wasn't asking for a date. She kept telling herself that in the hope that it would convince her.

"Nope, sorry," Clark said. He smiled brightly at her, apparently unaware of her inner conflict. "There's a meet up this weekend and Kyla asked Lex and me to go to it. I'll be gone most of the day Saturday and overnight into Sunday. Thank you though. How about the next weekend?"

"Why is Lex going along on your date?" Chloe asked, the normal controlled spike of jealousy at Kyla hitting her a little harder because of the brush off.

"It's not a date, Chlo," Clark said. He rolled his eyes at her. "Kyla and I aren't together that way anymore. We decided it wasn't working out."

"Oh Clark, I'm so sorry," Chloe said, instantly contrite. She put a hand on his arm to stop him before he headed off to class. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Clark reassured her. He looked a little sad but not very. "It's okay. Kyla really wants someone from within her tribe and well, there's someone else I'm more interested in than her. We're just friends now. Her grandfather is still trying to determine if I'm a cousin or something but even if I do turn out to be related to the Kawatche I don't think that Kyla and I will get together. We're close but not that close."

Chloe kept her joy at Clark being available again from showing on her face. She'd gotten good at that over the years of watching Clark pine for Lana, thank goodness. Clark blushed faintly so she must not have done as good of a job hiding her excitement as she thought.

"So there's someone else you're interested in?" Chloe asked to throw him off the scent. "Is it the lovely Lana?"

"No," Clark said, making a face. "She got really annoyed about the thing with Kyla. I think that she felt like she was being ignored or something. She's not talking to me anymore. It's probably for the best. Whitney still thinks of her as his girl, no matter what's going on here. It always felt kind of wrong to be with her."

"Finally," Chloe said, rolling her eyes at him. "It's about time you figured that out."

He shrugged sheepishly and turned to go to his class. Chloe hurriedly closed her locker and went after him. He cocked his head at her in a gesture that Chloe knew he'd picked up from Kyla. It was kind of cute but also kind of annoying given where it came from.

"So who's this special someone?" Chloe asked.

"No one important," Clark said as he went so red that he matched his shirt.

"Hmm, I think I'm going to have to put my deductive skills to work, Clark," Chloe teased. "This is a secret worth investigating in depth. Who won Clark Kent's heart away from the lovely Lana Lang?"

"Chloe!" Clark huffed at her.

"Sorry Clark!" Chloe grinned and waved goodbye. "Class time. Better hurry or you'll be late."

She ducked into her class, laughing at the way he growled at her. She settled in for class, thinking about it in the back of her mind. She poked Clark about it at lunch while he and Pete planned their motorbike outing for after school. He pretended to ignore her entirely but his cheeks kept going red so she knew she was getting to him. It was a little mean-spirited but Chloe really was curious. Clark had been totally stuck on Lana as long as Chloe had known him. Kyla had been a sudden change of heart but for him now to be looking in a different direction after they broke up seemed a little odd to her.

After school she walked with the guys to the bus, listening as the plotted out their route and bragged about who'd beat whom. It was nothing new so she thought about all the people Clark knew that he could be interested in. It wasn't her. That was obvious or he would have said something. Probably. He could be pretty dumb at times but even he knew to tell the girl he was interested in that he liked her.

"So what are you doing this weekend?" Pete asked. "Got plans with Kyla?"

"Sort of," Clark said. "There's a meet up for her tribe. She invited Lex and I to go. It'll be my second meet and his first. Should be fun. It's an overnighter with tents and a cookout and everything. I think that Joseph's going to make a roast pig again. That was so good last time!"

"Oh man, I'd die for that," Pete said, all but drooling on the seat.

"I think I'll pass," Chloe said with a shudder. Something was pinging in the back of her mind but they'd just come to her stop. "I don't want to eat anything that looks back at me when I cut into it."

"You don't know what you're missing," Clark grinned at her. "See you tomorrow, Chloe!"

"Night guys!" Chloe said and hurried off of the bus before it drove away with her still on board.

She was in the house and closing the door before the thought bothering her came clear. She gasped and turned to stare in the direction the bus had gone. Kyla had invited Clark _and Lex_ to the meet up; Lex who was obviously, almost painfully fascinated by Clark. Chloe let out a long slow breath. She could see it. She could easily see Clark being interested in Lex. He was over there all the time and half the guys make rude jokes about them already.

Chloe went to her room and started pulling out her homework. As much as she'd like it if Clark looked her way, it didn't look like that was ever going to happen. He was her best friend. She decided to watch but let it be. It was obvious what Lex thought of Clark, given all the stuff that he did for him. If Clark had finally figured it out and wanted to go for it, who was she to say no? She didn't share the general small town attitude about gays. She'd just have to make sure that no one did anything stupid that would get the two of them hurt.

+++++

Clark grinned as he passed Pete and roared down the hill. It was a different sort of speed from running at super speed or loping through the fields as a wolf. He thought it was a little more fun. It was certainly more challenging as Pete cut him off and laughed out loud. They raced each other, cutting close to the new LuthorCorp construction site and then away again as Pete looked disgusted.

Clark didn't know what to think of the construction. He knew that it would bring a lot of jobs to Smallville. Mom was working with Lionel to help make it happen despite his blindness. Joseph and Kyla were worried that it would destroy the artifacts that they knew were buried somewhere in the area. Clark made a mental note to ask Mom and Lex about it. Maybe there was something that could be done to ensure both sides were taken care of. He dismissed the worries as he headed off after Pete.

Clark took the lead after a bit of jockeying and jumped a small mound of earth. He did something wrong as he took off, making the bike twisted under him. Clark cursed and rolled, pushing the bike away from him. He tumbled as he landed, not hurt in the slightest though he could hear Pete calling his name.

"I'm fine!" Clark called, rolling to his knees.

The ground gave way under him. This time Clark shouted, scrambling at the earth as it gave way underneath him. Pete's scream was more terrifying than the fall. He landed in a big pile of dirt and grass, which cushioned his fall nicely. Clark spluttered and rolled away from the debris still falling from the ceiling. The air was filled with dust, setting him to coughing and sneezing to clear his nose.

"Clark!" Pete bellowed.

"Don't get too close!" Clark yelled back. "I'm in a cave of some sort. Looks like the ceiling is unstable. You better get to the construction site and have them bring a rope or something. I think I see a way out but I'm not sure without a light."

"You okay, man?" Pete called, sounding much calmer.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Clark coughed as another cloud of dust fell from the ceiling. "It was a pretty soft landing. It's just dusty in here."

"I'll be right back," Pete called. "You stay put. Don't go exploring! You got that? You got no light and that cave could be really dangerous."

"I got it, I got it," Clark called. "Now go get a rope already! I want out!"

Pete laughed. Clark heard him scrambling away from the hole and then his motorbike roared into the distance. Clark sighed, looking around him. He could see everything fairly well from the light of the hole overhead but he supposed that a human would have had a hard time of it. The cave wasn't that bad. It was large, with what looked like several tunnels branching off in different directions. He could see paintings on the wall that reminded him of the artifacts that Joseph had shown him. He traced a couple of them with his fingertip, wondering what they meant. Hopefully they'd be able to get Joseph and Kyla in here and they would be able to tell him.

It took about an hour for them to get him out of the cave. The construction crew came with equipment and a rope but the roof kept sending down showers of debris when any weight was put on it. The foreman in charge called the state and LuthorCorp to notify them of what was going on. Clark told them about the tunnels so they used sounding equipment and eventually found an entrance not too far away. Clark beamed when the foreman, Lex and Pete arrived, all bearing flashlights that half blinded him until they gave him one to use.

"Whoa," Pete breathed, staring at the cave paintings. "Dude, this is incredible."

"I know," Clark said. "This must be the cave system that Joseph and Kyla were looking for. They knew that there was an old sacred cave in the area but they could never find it."

"I'd say that it's been found," Lex said, staring at the paintings with fascination. "We'll have to contact the state. They might want to shut down the construction site if these paintings are legitimate."

"Like he was carrying a paint can," Pete said, glaring at Lex.

"Pete," Clark scolded him. "Cut it out. Lex didn't mean I painted them."

"Not at all," Lex said, staring at one that looked like a man being attacked by a snake. "But these caves could have been found previously by others. We'll have to secure them until the archeologists can get in here to verify them."

"That would be good," Clark said, staring at the central monolith that he'd spent all his time studying. "It'd be a shame if this place got destroyed. It looks ancient."

"Add that to the fact that that branch of the cave over there points straight at the construction site," the foreman said with a disgusted grimace. "We might not be on solid ground over there."

They headed outside, Clark sighing with relief once he was in the open air. Being inside the cave had been a strange mix of claustrophobia and comfort. His wolf had found the place comforting, like a den. His other half had been freaking out about being in a small dark place for too long. They emerged just as a car drove up with Lionel and Clark's mom.

"What's going on?" Lionel demanded, staring around blindly. Mom was holding his arm. "Why has the work stopped?"

"Oh my God!" Mom gasped as she spotted Clark. She abandoned Lionel and hurried over to Clark. "Are you all right, sweetie?"

"I'm fine," Clark said. "Just dusty. I kind of fell into a cave while we were dirt biking. I didn't get hurt though. I landed on a big pile of grass and dirt so it broke my fall. There are Kawatche cave paintings in there, Mom! It's so cool. Joseph and Kyla have been looking for that cave for years."

"I'm still waiting for an answer to my question," Lionel snarled, thumping his cane into the earth.

"Sorry Father," Lex said calmly. "As Clark said, there was an accident and the workers stopped to help rescue him. I'm afraid that you'll have to put the work on hold. There are ancient artifacts that will need to be checked out and the caves appear to extend quite some distance. There's a good possibility that the work site is unstable."

"Damn it, Lex!" Lionel snapped. His eyes locked onto Lex's chin. "We can't afford that sort of delay."

"It's not my call to make," Lex said, smirking. "That's up to the government, not me. The calls have already been made so you'll just have to deal with their decision."

Lionel bristled the instant Lex smirked. Clark put a hand on Mom's shoulder, frowning. Lionel wasn't reacting like someone who was blind. He smelled like he knew what was going on around him. Clark frowned. Lionel's scent all over his mom had always bothered him but now it made him really unhappy. If Lionel could see he didn't need Mom to work for him and he was manipulating both Mom and Lex by pretending.

Clark didn't get a chance to warn Mom about the possibility that Lionel was faking blindness. The state ranger showed up in a puke green pickup truck, followed by Kyla's car and the sheriff's car. Clark beamed as she and Joseph got out. He hurried over, bouncing in his excitement.

"I think we found the cave you guys have been looking for," Clark exclaimed. "I was dirt biking with Pete and fell through the roof."

"Are you all right?" Joseph asked, patting Clark's elbow and then waving a hand to disperse the dust that flew up.

"I'm fine," Clark nodded. "I landed on a big pile of dirt and grass. It broke my fall. The caves are incredible, all sorts of cave paintings on the walls. They really remind me of the stuff you've shown me, Joseph. You've got to see them!"

"Not until we've determined that they're safe to enter," the ranger said. "Given that the ceiling is obviously unstable I want this whole area cleared out."

"This is LuthorCorp property," Lionel snarled.

"Safety comes first," the ranger declared. "I'm sure that as a business owner you can understand that."

Mom came over and pulled Lionel away to talk to him in a low voice. Lex joined them by Kyla's car, watching as Mom managed Lionel and the ranger worked with the foreman to determine exactly how unstable the cave was. Joseph sighed, watching them.

"I wish we could have seen it," Joseph said.

"I'll make sure that your tribe gets access," Lex said quietly to Joseph. "My father won't like it which is reason enough for me to do it."

"Will you still come to the meet up?" Kyla asked, looking at Clark with that expression that said he darn well better explain about their break up soon.

"Of course," Lex said, nodding.

"Can you give me a ride?" Clark asked. "Kyla will be busy with the preparations so it would be a lot easier if you could take me there. One less car to find parking for, too."

"I'd be glad to, Clark," Lex said. "Let me know when to pick you up."

His expression was a little tight as he looked at the two of them. Clark could smell how much he hated the thought of them together but he didn't show it. No one looking at him would have any idea how much he resented Kyla's quiet presence at Clark's elbow. Clark sighed and nodded to Kyla. He would make sure that they had that discussion before they got to the meet up, no matter how nervous it made him.

+++++

"It's been quite a while since I went on an overnight trip with a friend," Lex commented once Clark had his sleeping bag and supplies loaded in the trunk and got in the car. He'd chosen one of his cars that had significant trunk space for the adventure. "Should be interesting."

"It'll be great," Clark said, beaming at him. "Joseph's roasting a whole pig and Kyla said she was making fry bread and Mom made six pies for us to bring. It's going to be so much fun!"

Lex laughed quietly at Clark's enthusiasm for the food. He was more interested in learning about the Kawatche's ability to change shapes but the food would likely be a decent addition to his enjoyment of the expedition. He doubted that it would be up to his standards or to Martha's but that didn't really matter. It wasn't the point of the expedition. Lex set out, following Clark's instructions to the ranch outside of Granville.

"I suppose you'll be spending most of your time with Kyla," Lex commented once they crossed the bridge where they'd met.

"No, actually she'll probably be flirting with the other guys," Clark said. His voice was a little strained as he played with the hem of his flannel shirt. "We broke up."

"You what?" Lex asked. He swerved as his head snapped around to stare at Clark so he locked his eyes back on the road. His knuckles were white from how hard he was gripping the steering wheel.

"We broke up," Clark repeated. "She wants someone who will um, make love to her in both shapes and I… don't think I could do that. Her wolf shape doesn't attract me, only her human shape. She says that its one of the ways that we know who we should be with, that we're comfortable with them in both of our shapes."

"Oh."

Lex wasn't sure what to say to that little gem of insight into the Kawatche and Clark's _former_ girlfriend. His stomach was turning flips at the concept of Clark being free again. Lex reminded himself sternly of Clark's age. He was underage. He was only fifteen. There was absolutely no way that Lex could get involved with Clark. He had shown no signs of being bisexual. He had been interested in girls ever since Lex met him.

"Um, you do realize that I can smell how you're reacting, don't you?" Clark asked. His voice was shaking, as were his hands.

Lex sighed. "I'm sorry, Clark. I hope that my reactions don't bother you."

"No, not at all," Clark said, rubbing his thumbs in a gesture that he'd begun since he met Kyla. "Actually, it's kind of a relief. When I first met Kyla she asked me if there was anyone special I cared about. I told her about Lana and she was surprised."

"Why?" Lex asked, flicking a glance at Clark. His eyes were locked on his hands. His face was bright red.

"Because she could smell a man's scent on me and she assumed that I was with a guy," Clark admitted. He turned to look at Lex. "It was your scent."

"Fuck," Lex breathed. "I'm sorry, Clark."

"Don't be. I… God this is so hard to talk about!" Clark started wiggling his thumbs, taking deep breaths. "I get so nervous that it's hard not to change."

Lex frowned and pulled over to the side of the road. He hated the thought that he might be upsetting Clark that badly. Lex reached over and cautiously put his hand on Clark's arm. Clark drew in a sharp breath and then let it out slowly. Lex could almost see the tension drain out of him. Clark smiled shakily at him.

"That helps," Clark said softly. "A lot, actually. Lex, I don't have any problem with you being interested in me. I never have. I've been, um, well, interested in you ever since we met. It's just that every time I thought about it or tried to tell you anything I got so nervous that I nearly changed. I sort of promised Kyla and Joseph that I'd tell you. I don't want you to feel bad about it. I just need to learn to control myself."

"Clark, I don't want to make you nervous," Lex said, keeping his hand on Clark's arm since he had said that it helped. "You matter a great deal to me. Take whatever time you need. After all you are under age. No matter what level of attraction exists on either side nothing is going to happen until you're old enough."

"Lex," Clark whined. He looked rather like Lex had just stabbed him.

"Absolutely not," Lex declared with a little smirk. "You're my best friend Clark but I will not risk going to jail for you. LexCorp wouldn't survive that and I won't give my father the satisfaction of seeing my company fail."

Clark nodded, sighing a little regretfully. Lex suspected that there was a great deal more that he wanted to say but they were only a mile or so from the ranch where the meet up was being held. They tabled the discussion until they had the time to discuss it in private.

The ranch wasn't what Lex had been expecting, though he felt a little ridiculous as those expectations collapsed. There were no teepees, or open campfires and not one horse. A tall fence with a line of shrubs inside of it blocked the wind. The fence and shrubs completely surrounded the ranch's property. Lex suspected that the fact that it also nicely blocked anyone's line of sight was in no way accidental. The house was a long, low ranch with by a wide deck around the perimeter. A couple dozen cars were parked in front. Clark had Lex park at one end of the line of cars, bouncing out to wave at the others ferrying supplies into the house. They waved back, smiling welcomingly at both of them.

"You're sure it's okay that I'm here?" Lex asked, a little cautious in the new environment.

"Of course," Clark said, beaming. "I can smell the curiosity about you from here."

"That's not exactly reassuring, Clark," Lex said in an undertone.

"Sorry," Clark apologized. "Um, Joseph will probably be really nice to you but I'd be really polite to Jeremiah. He's going to be the leader of the clan after Joseph and he's really unhappy about the project near the cave. He's not likely to distinguish between Luthors, at least at first."

Lex nodded. He'd be cautious. The last thing that he wanted to do was cause Clark trouble with his people. Clark carried in a box holding a mountain of food while Lex carried their sleeping bags and spare clothes. He was grateful that he'd chosen jeans and an old gray sweatshirt once they were inside. Everyone was dressed casually. Lex smiled to himself as he corrected the thought. Those who were clothed were dressed casually. A good quarter of the people inside of the house and out back were naked as the day they had been born.

"Clark!" Kyla called. "Lex! Glad you made it! We've set up tents out back for you. There are little signs in front so you can find them. Go ahead out."

"I've got some of Mom's pies," Clark said, heading into the kitchen. "And a couple of casseroles and some apples and a bunch of cookies."

"In the kitchen," Kyla said, grinning.

Lex headed out back, locating the tents easily despite the small sea of tents that had been set up on the wide lawn. He and Clark each had a small pup tent to themselves. There were inflated airbeds inside waiting for them. Lex set up his sleeping bag and then Clark's as he hadn't shown up yet. Once that was done Lex looked around, wondering what to do next.

"Glad to see you made it," Joseph said from behind Lex.

"I wouldn't have missed it for the world," Lex said, shaking Joseph's hand and smiling at him. "Where's Clark?"

"Over there," Joseph said, nodding to a group of what Lex had assumed were puppies and children playing together. "The kids love playing with him. He lets them chew on his ears without getting upset."

"That sounds like Clark," Lex chuckled.

Now that he looked he could see an unusually large black wolf under the pile of yipping puppies and squealing kids. Lex smiled and followed Joseph inside. The Kawatche nodded at him, going about their business. People were setting up tables for food, bringing in supplies. Others were chasing the kids out into the back yard. He could see one particularly large Kawatche chopping wood for a fire later. Kyla appeared by his side, wearing nothing but a skimpy halter dress. She handed him a soda, studying his face.

"He did talk to you," Kyla said, smiling after a moment. "Finally! I've been pestering him about it for ages."

"Yes," Lex said, trying to smile at her. It came out rather tight, which wasn't what he'd intended. "He was rather nervous about it so he didn't explain very much, other than that the two of you had broken up."

"It's a pity," Kyla sighed. "I'd still love to have children with him someday but only if my mate agrees to it. He really should have children. He's so unique."

"Maybe he will," Lex said, jealousy at the very idea rearing up.

Kyla looked at him and then chuckled. Lex sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. It was very odd talking to people who could literally smell your emotional reactions. She shrugged, looking at Clark under the kids and the large Kawatche chopping wood.

"It'll work out eventually," Kyla said. "I better save the woodpile from Jeremiah. We don't need that much wood for the bonfire tonight."

Lex raised an eyebrow at the highly possessive way Jeremiah reacted to her. He all but scooped her up in his arms when she walked up and touched his elbow. The attraction was quite obvious between them. Lex looked at Clark who had shaken of the kids and then back at Kyla and Jeremiah. He suspected that a lot of the tension Clark had warned him about had nothing to do with LuthorCorp. It probably related directly to Kyla's brief relationship with Clark. Jeremiah didn't look like the sort to share.

Clark spent most of the afternoon running around as a wolf, helping to keep the kids occupied while their parents talked. Lex watched him while talking to Joseph and the other older Kawatche. They all had questions about the caves that Clark had so fortuitously discovered. Lex wasn't able to tell them much, other than that the state was still assessing the stability of the caves and determining if the cave paintings were authentic. They allowed him to ask thousands of questions about how they changed and the individual variations in their abilities.

By the time dusk crept over the ranch most of the Kawatche were naked. The moon slowly crept up over the trees surrounding the ranch, pale in the indigo sky. Lex blinked as Joseph passed him a plate laden with roast pig, beans, fry bread and some of Martha's pie. He hadn't realized that it was the full moon. Clark appeared at his elbow, rapidly eating his way through his plate of food.

"Is it significant that it's the full moon?" Lex asked.

Clark nodded firmly while he chewed and swallowed. "Yeah. A lot of the Kawatche need the full moon to change shapes. Not everyone, obviously, but quite a few of them. Being able to change as freely as Kyla and me is kind of rare."

"Hmm, that would explain the link in werewolf myths," Lex nodded.

Once darkness fell the majority of the Kawatche changed into wolves. Clark was back in his wolf shape, walking like a great black shadow among them. Jeremiah turned out to be nearly as dark as Clark, though somewhat smaller. Every time Clark ventured close to Kyla Jeremiah snapped and growled at him. Kyla's expression made Lex think that she was a little annoyed and perhaps a lot amused by Jeremiah's dominant displays. She rarely stayed by his side, instead flirting with all the young males other than Clark and Jeremiah.

"She's playing with fire, that one," Joseph said, sitting next to Lex on his bench by the fire. He started pulling off his clothes. "Jeremiah's been interested in her for years."

"She doesn't share the interest?" Lex asked. It felt rather strange to watch the older man strip so casually.

"I think she does," Joseph said, pausing as he untied his boots. "She's just not ready to settle down quite yet. Jeremiah is close to your age and Kyla's Clark's age. It's quite the age difference."

"True," Lex sighed.

Joseph patted his arm and chuckled before he finished disrobing. He shifted shapes slowly, almost creakily. It was fascinating to watch though Lex suspected that most people watching it would have been terrified. Lex could literally see Joseph's facial bones shifting and moving. His mouth gaped open as his teeth grew and his spine seemed to contort as he changed from bipedal locomotion to quadrupedal. Lex smiled, offering a hand to Joseph once he'd completed his transformation. Joseph wolf-laughed, licked Lex's fingertips and then strode off to knock Jeremiah down and lightly bite his neck.

"He's the real Alpha," a man said from behind Lex.

"You're not changing?" Lex asked him. He had bright red hair and blue eyes, as well as a blanket wrapped around his body as if he was cold.

"No more than you are," the man laughed. "I'm John. The little brindle wolf over there with the pups is my wife. That was a shock when she told me, let me tell you. First time at one of the meet ups just about blew my mind."

"Lex."

He offered his hand, grinning as John shook it and then sat next to him. Five other people came and settled down near him. Only one of them looked like one of the Kawatche. She smiled at Lex's curious look, shrugging.

"I can't change at night," she said. "I'm Lynn."

"This is endlessly fascinating," Lex murmured. "And here I assumed that nighttime was necessary for all of your people."

"You're twice as fascinating with how you react. No fear at all." Lynn laughed at his look of surprise. "Wolf ears and nose, no matter what shape I've got. So what do you see when you look at him?"

"Clark?" Lex asked. Lynn nodded. "An incredible young man with an amazing gift."

"More incredible than you seem to realize," Lynn said, watching as Clark bounced and played with the kids and then scampered to run around the perimeter of the camp, the kids chasing his tail. "Do you know the story of how the Kawatche came to be?"

"No," Lex said, straightening up. The other normal guests looked at her too, John with a cautious expression as if he thought she was doing something a bit strange or foolish.

"About five hundred years ago a man fell from the stars," Lynn said. Her voice did not have that 'telling a story' tone to it. She said it as if she was reporting bland fact. "He looked like a human but he wasn't. He was tall and powerful, with the strength of ten men. He could fly through the air like a bird and shoot fire from his eyes. He fell in love with a native woman and together they had a child. That child was the first Kawatche. 'Kawatche' means 'skinwalker'. It's said that he turned into a great black wolf, bigger than any other wolf in existence. After a time he went back to the stars, saying that another of his people would one day return to protect our people and the entire Earth."

She watched Clark as she told the story. When she turned to look at Lex her eyes glowed golden in the firelight. She held out a hand to Lex, waiting for him to give her his hand. He hesitated and then let her wrap her fingers around his index finger. She squeezed hard. It felt like a normal human grip. Lex's breath ran away from him. He would have expected her to break his finger doing that.

"That's as hard as I can squeeze," Lynn explained. "Clark can't talk about it without changing but we all know. We can smell it. He's more than you think he is, Lex. He's more than _he_ thinks he is. He's still a boy. He's got a lot of growing left to do but we know what he's going to be someday. He's Naman, the man from the stars."

"Why tell me this?" Lex asked, pitching his voice low and calm so that Clark wouldn't hear his upset.

"You deserve to know," Lynn said. She stood, looking out at the other Kawatche. "He needs a defender, someone to guide him past childhood. We thought Kyla might be it but she's obviously not his One. I don't know if you are either but you mean the most to him of anyone we've met. Besides, if you screw it up and hurt him there's nowhere for you to hide. We will find you. We won't let you be Segeeth to his Naman. You mean far too much to him."

"Ah," Lex said, nodding. It felt good to be on more familiar ground. Threats to his survival he could deal with. Clark possibly being an alien he wasn't quite as certain he could cope with. "Understood."

Lynn cocked her head at him curiously before laughing and shaking her head. She shrugged and walked out into the wolves, petting them. John looked at him strangely. Lex shrugged. He was a Luthor. He knew he didn't react normally to threats and shared confidences. None of the others seemed willing to talk about Clark's differences after Lynn left so Lex let it go. Clark appeared to be having the time of his life. Lex smiled at him, Lynn's story playing in the back of his mind against all the incredible things he'd seen Clark do. Eventually he went to his tent and curled up to sleep. The Kawatche could play all night but Lex was exhausted.

Lex woke several hours later to a large furry shape pressing up against him. " Hmm? Clark, you have your own tent."

Clark whined at him, snuggling closer.

"This is hardly appropriate." Lex wrapped an arm around Clark's back, burying his fingers in Clark's thick fur. "You're underage. Well, not in wolf years but we both know you're not really a wolf."

Clark's back shook as he laughed. His tail thumped against Lex's leg.

"You do realize that I'm not going to let anything happen, don't you?" Lex asked.

Clark huffed and pressed his nose against Lex's throat. Lex spluttered and laughed, pushing him away. Clark laughed silently, resting his head on Lex's chest. Lex smiled, petting him. He supposed that it really wasn't that big of a deal. Clark didn't want to have sex this way and Lex most definitely was not into bestiality, even when the 'animal' in question was actually his best friend shape-shifted. Lex shrugged and let Clark stay. He slowly petted Clark's fur, loving the feel of him close. He was warm which was quite pleasant. The night had gone cold.

"Lynn told me a story while you were romping," Lex whispered a few minutes later. "About a man from the stars with incredible powers who sired the Kawatche tribe."

Clark's back when hard as rock under Lex's fingers. He seemed to stop breathing.

"It's okay," Lex murmured to him. "No matter what your power's source is or where you came from, you're still my friend Clark."

Clark whined, pressing his head into Lex's chest. He was shaking as if terrified.

"Shh," Lex whispered. "Take your time, Clark. You're not alone. You're never alone. I won't allow anyone to hurt you, I promise."


End file.
